Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly: The Remarkable Story of the Friendship Between a First Lady and a Former Slave

I picked up this book because my library created a display of Lincoln books for the February holiday. I have just a passing interest in the Lincoln story, but I was interested in the idea of a friendship between two women forming the basis for a book. This is an excellent piece of research. Saying it is not readable, as some reviewers have, misses the point. This isn't The Da Vinci Code. You aren't reading for plot. If you read with the view that you're learning about a particular time period and the lives of two people on either end of the socio-economic and racial spectrums, you might slow down and enjoy the author's hard work and accomplishments. Perhaps of most value is simply that the author has managed to pluck from obscurity a woman (Mrs. Keckley) who would otherwise be forgotten. She, in fact, says at the end of the book that her very existence had been publicly questioned at one point. The material and excerpts from the book Mrs. Keckley published are fascinating to read. Mrs. Lincoln, you can read about anywhere, so I wasn't disturbed by gaps in her story. Primary source material about slaves' day-to-day lives and the inhumanities of the institution of slavery is infinitely valuable. I do feel, though, that perhaps the author was too generous in depicting the women's faults and failings, just because of their gender. It was a shocking lapse in judgment and lack of honor for Mrs. Keckley to publish a "tell-all" book that included even letters from Mrs. Lincoln. It's no wonder she lost customers as a seamstress to the well-born. Who would she target next, they must have wondered. And while Ms. Fleischner doesn't shy away from the unflattering aspects of Mrs. Lincoln's personality, to make so much of how the deaths of those close to her unhinged her doesn't allow for the fact that everyone of that era lost babies and children to illnesses untreatable then, had mothers who died in childbirth, lost sons in the war and were shackled by the day's oppressive institution of marriage, yet not everyone was as mentally unstable as she was. Mrs. Keckley herself is evidence of that, considering the horrors she endured as a slave and a black woman. Skip ahead to the juicy bits, if you must, and I admit I turned over some unread pages when the names and relationships began to blur, but you'll find more reward as a reader if you keep the scholarship of the book in mind as you read. I'm so glad there are authors willing to wade through arcane historical documents to create evocative narratives of the past.

Excellent historical review. Now have a much better understanding of Mary Todd Lincoln's personality as well as a greater appreciation for the difficulties of slavery that were experienced by Elizabeth Keckly. Both were intelligent women who struggled against the limitations of their culture and upbringing.

After reading this book I feel as if I know the two ladies, their lives and their times.

Superbly written biography of TWO women in history. I learned more about Mary Lincoln in this book than maybe I wanted to but she was an interesting one. Author paints two life portraits and blends them artfully. If you are a First Lady buff, civil war buff or women's history reader then you won't want to miss out on this one.

Compelling portrait of the changing status of women during the 19th century in America. Elizabeth Keckly's story of coming up from slavery and enduring emotional and physical hardships is shocking in it's matter of fact presentation. Somehow, her dignity brings to sharp focus the inhumanity of slavery and clearly shows the untenable situation the mistress' of the house also had to indure. Her ultimate success as a business woman and friend of Mary Lincoln is heartwarming and natural. Mary Lincoln's parallel story, in contrast, begins in a rich, cultivated, "safe" home, leads to a highly public "successful" match, and yet ends in maddness. The troubling effects of untreated illness and too many deaths in her life are devastating, and have forever changed my outlook on this much maligned former first lady. To our sensibilities, she was a victim of the social and intellectual view of a "proper" woman's place in 19th century society. Lizzy's ultimate successes were hard won, but as a former slave she, ironically, was given more freedom from society's constraints than Mary. The very things that Lizzy could do that made her "respectable" would have been considered a huge step down for Mary. I loved every moment of this book. I didn't want it to end. Its portrait of a time in our history is beautifully realized and has given me new respect for the women of the Civil War era. If you're interested in women's history, American history, or biographies this is a must have.